The Press., 1887-01-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, D. O., Jan. 2, 1887.
 Washington is covered with mid-win- ter mantle of white now, but the gay world of fashion is in motion once more, and up at the capitol you hear much about tariff reduction plans and an extra session. The president is dissatisfied at the oondi- tion of affairs in congress, aud realizes the necessity of doing something. It is said Senator Vest and Hon. s. s. Cox will be his mouthpieces in each end of the capitol to get the tariff question again up for dis. cussion. If they fail, the president threat. ems to call an extra session of the fftieth congress upon the expiration of this, hop. ing that 1t may carry out his wishes.
 Representative Mills of Texas and Cox of New York will be the rival candidates for the chairmanship of the ways and means committee in the fiftieth congress, and the result will indicate whether it is the disposition of the party to adopt a bold and aggressive tariff policy or one more conciliatory. As to the republicans and tariff reform, for the remainder of this session, their members of the ways and means committee have decided to adopt as a platform a revenue bill which favors n reduction of internal revenue and an lad. justment" of tariff.
 Attorney General Garland, who had not been in the senate chamber since the pan electric investigation, attended the Logan funeral in company with the other mem. bers of the cabInet. It is claimed that Mir. Garland is not harassed by the criti. cisms upon him winch appear in print for the reason that he knows nothing about them. He does not read the newspapers, and is consequently ignorant of what is said and thought in the world.
 Public Printer Benedict, who has made himself notorious by the wholesale dis charge of government clerks, will soon be tried m the furnace to see if he himself is not wanting. Representative Farquhar, on the part of the printers union of New York, is conducting the fight against his confirmation in the senate. Opposition to him is based upon the grounds that he is not practical printer, which the law stip- ulates a public printer shall be. Mir. Farquhar argued that unless Mir. Benedict could earn the average wages in compos- posing room he could not be considered a practical printer This, he said, would be rating practical printer very low.
 A few days ago Senator Mitchell of Pennsylvania asked the senate to pass a bill giving pension of $2,000 year to the widow of Senator Logan. The bill failed then through the interference of OrhhVol SohS VI 4eAhb, Dub yebloTQaY it was brought to vote and passed. The sum fixed is the same amount as that eiv- en to the widows of Gen. Hancock and Gen. Thomas.
 It is probable that new inauRuration day will be determined upon by congress. Last June the senate voted to extend the presidents term of office to the last Tues day in April. and also to substitute the last Tuesday in April for the fourth of March as the commencement and termina- tion of the official terms of vice presidents. senators, and representatives. Some of the reasons given for this change were that the first president was inaugurated on the 30th of April, that it would be fitting celebration of George Washington's inaug- uration to inaugunte the president In 1889 upon the same day, and that the fourth of March as the day for installing new gov ernment unduly curtails the second sea. sion of every congress.
 In the house of representatives this reao- lution passed by the senate, came in con- tact with the SO called Grain resolution. This proposed that tho constitution be 60 amended that the term of the ilftieth oon- grees shall end on Dec. 31 at noon that the hfty-frrt congress shall meet immedi- ately thereafter, and that the meeting dav of each succeeding congress shall be the second Tuesday in January. MT. Crnin's plan would bring the fifty -hrnt congress to- gether about two months after the mem- bera had been elected, instead of shirteen